The harvest of silage corn has begun on 80,000 decares of land in the Bafra Plain

In the Bafra Plain of Samsun, one of the most important feed crop production centers in the Black Sea Region, the harvest of silage corn planted on 80,000 decares of land has begun.

In 2024, a 90% increase in silage corn production was achieved with the support of the "Meadow and Pasture Management Project" and the "Our Metropolitan Municipality Is Always with You Project" grants from the Metropolitan Municipality.

The harvest of the silage corn produced under these projects took place at an event held in the Sarıkaya neighborhood.

Bafra has 668,570 decares of agricultural land, with 49-50% of it being irrigable. In 2023, approximately 75,000 decares of the 200,000-decare feed crop area in Bafra was dedicated to silage corn. It is anticipated that 80,000 decares will be used for silage corn production in 2024.

Samsun Provincial Director of Agriculture and Forestry İbrahim Sağlam highlighted that feed crops cover 70% of the input costs in livestock farming. He stated, "We have 345,000 large cattle and 250,000 small cattle across Samsun. For their total roughage needs, we require 1,230,000 tons of planting. Currently, our total production of silage corn, vetch, and feed peas across Samsun is 988,000 tons. We have 162,000 decares of pasture land, of which 73,000 decares have been improved, and nearly 15,000 decares are still being improved. Additionally, we meet the feed crop needs from crop residues, such as those from hazelnut processing. Last year, a company in Çarşamba sold 15-20,000 tons of silage corn to the Black Sea Region. We not only meet our needs but also those of the region. In 2023, we had feed crop planting on 600,000 decares of land, with a support amount of 201,000 tons, translating to approximately 14.8 million TL in support."

İbrahim Sağlam emphasized the vital importance of feed crops for continuing livestock farming, stating, "In addition to silage corn, whether it's vegetables, corn, hazelnuts, or rice, we are in a fertile land. We host vegetable production not only for Samsun but also for many provinces in our region and Turkey. In feed crops, we need roughage for livestock farming. If not, we will have to work with factories. Turkey is definitely a leader in common vetch production, and we also have a place in vetch seed production. We have risen to second place in feed peas. Although our ranking in silage corn varies between 8th and 11th in Turkey, we are not in a bad position. We are in a sufficient state for our livestock, but we will continue to work. Our duty is to feed the Black Sea Region with our four large plains. We produce many agricultural products such as vegetables, grains, and cereals, unlike some other regions. We will continue to work to feed this region as Samsun."

The silage corn harvest event was also attended by Bafra Agricultural Chamber President Osman Tosuner, Meadow and Feed Crop Branch Manager Mehmet Yolcu, Plant Production and Plant Health Branch Manager Lale Baykal, Bafra District Agricultural and Forestry Director Mehmet Güreş, and producers.